Cuba Original Chinese Indentured Laborer Contract (1858) – Steamship "Mauricio" – From Macau to Havana D1

This is an exceptional historical document from 1858 documenting the indentured labor system that emerged in Cuba during the mid-19th century. The contract formalizes the emigration agreement of Che Anhi, a 22-year-old Chinese laborer, aboard the steamship Mauricio traveling from Macau to Havana. It specifies an eight-year work commitment with monthly compensation of 4 pesos, provisions including salted meat and root vegetables, and two annual clothing changes. This artifact provides direct testimony to the coolie trade system that supplanted African slavery, offering invaluable genealogical research potential and rare insight into individual labor experiences during this pivotal historical period. An essential primary source for scholars of Asian diaspora, Cuban colonial